Werewolf Wedding(23)

“I said bear,” she corrected me, “but no. You know what I’m talking about. You can tell he’s holding something back. I mean come on – his crazy ass brother? What the f*ck was that? There’s gotta be more to it than he’s letting on.”

We fell into a comfortable silence for a few moments. She was on to something, that much was certain. What is it though? What crazy secret can he be holding onto so tightly? He’s got a brother who wants to take his father’s business, but has no real right to it. That’s a little soap opera, but not exactly rare.

“What are you thinking?” Jeannie finally asked when I started chewing on my lip so hard that it sorta started to hurt. “Something’s rattling around in that big empty skull of yours. And don’t sigh again or you might fill the room with a dangerous amount of carbon dioxide.”

I started to sigh and then caught myself with a snorted laugh. “It’s just... yeah, I mean I can see that there’s something he’s keeping close to the chest. At the same time, I also feel a little ridiculous because we’ve been out once, had one round of oral sex and—”

“Yes!” Jeannie squealed. “I finally get you to admit it! You did have a billionaire between your legs!”

I blushed furiously, but knew there wasn’t any way to back out once I’d go so far in. “Well really it was more like he was above me, but yeah, I guess I did, huh? He gave me an orgasm without anything going in me. I swear to God.”

“No. Way.”

“Honest to God. He just kinda breathed on me, pressed a little. Didn’t even take my panties off. It was the craziest thing in the world. Every time he kissed me, I felt like I was gonna... never mind, you don’t want to hear about this.”

Jeannie’s eyes were wide open. “Do go on,” she said. “And do you think his brother can be brought back from crazy land? Because I so need some of that.”

We giggled for a second, I finally getting over the fact that I’d just admitted my sexual escapade... funny thing is, every time I admit one, I get the same pointless embarrassment. “What time is it?”

“Uh,” Jeannie flipped on her phone. “Eight. You better go!”

“How do you know?” I asked, gathering my handbag and wiping the lipstick off, which leaved a tremendous red splotch on the napkin I used. “And you were right about the lipstick.”

“I checked your calendar, Dilly,” Jeannie said flatly. “I am your secretary, on top of being your best friend and giver of sage advice. Now get out there, and come back home to give me a big, juicy story about how you two crazy kids couldn’t manage to get all the way to his mansion without pulling over eight times for quickies. Go, go, go! Holy shit, look at that car!”

She pushed me out the door, shutting it behind her.

All I could do was shake my head and smile. And then I saw it – a Rolls Royce sedan, the kind with the backward opening doors. A man in a tuxedo was standing to one side. I’d heard the car pull up, but had somehow missed him getting out of it, I guess. He smiled pleasantly.

He was tall and slight with a neatly-trimmed, gray mustache, and a very sharp uniform built around his tuxedo. “Evening, Miss Coltrane,” he said. His voice matched his appearance – clean, cultured, and slightly British? “Mr. Somerset regrets to inform you that he won’t be on time for your meal, due to some... unforeseen consequences.”

“Oh,” I said, “then why are you here? He could have just called.”

“Ah, yes, well that wouldn’t be at all like Mr. Somerset. He’s not entirely comfortable with all of this sort of thing yet. And he’s quite discomfited by the idea of canceling – ah, ditching? – a date at the last minute. Especially with you, he wanted me to say.”

“He told you to say all that?”

“No, only the last part.”

I blushed a little and thanked him. “Well but I still don’t understand. If he’s late, then why are you here now?”

“Oh, of course, I’m getting forgetful in my old age.” He smiled, and the mustache twitched a bit. “I’m Barney.”

I waited for a second, waiting for him to say something else. “Hi, Barney,” I finally said when he didn’t.

“Yes! Hello, Miss Coltrane. At any rate, Mr. Somerset would like to extend an invitation for you to meet him at his estate for dinner, rather than Applebee’s.”

By the time I remembered to respond, I was already one leg in the door. Barney seemed amused by that, and closed the door behind me without a further word.

*

“And here we are.”

Barney opened the door for me and offered his hand. Taking it, I stepped out of the completely absurd car stared at the equally absurd mansion that loomed in front of me like a perfectly-lit movie set.

Massive, ancient oaks towered overhead with a complex series of lights placed just perfectly to throw shadows at the most perfectly dramatic angles. The gates closed behind us when Barney nodded to a man sitting in a guard house and then a few moments later, I felt his hand on my back. It was warm, too, just like Jake’s and Dane’s were.

“Right this way, please.”

“This is... something,” I said as we entered the foyer, which was laid out in an elegant and very old style. Obviously old woodwork marked the walls, carved with intricate scrolling. “Wow.”